Days of Wine and Roses

What happened to 2012?! Just too much procrastination going on around here, and
too many flowers and other inebriating delights swirling around.

Hmm. January of 2012 had us in Puerto Rico

and Saint Maarten.


 April, we were back at Massanutten, Virginia. August, we were in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, and in October we were at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and also Massanutten.

British Foods and Shadows

Down here in Key West shadows creep up ye olde brick wall. It will be evening soon and the buskers will be out and about entertaining the crowds. There is a huge Disney ship docked just down the road a bit. Tourists saunter about in gaudy tee shirts and loose sandals, probably wishing they had worn a sweater.

I spy a shop that advertises British foods and jaunt over quickly to inspect the joyful joint. It does look joyful! I'm almost certain I'll be able to purchase good old Branston Pickle and maybe some Cadbury Flake. Yum. Digestive Biscuits too? Yummer yum.

Inside the shop I'm gazing on the foods I used to eat growing up in Scotland. Wine gums anyone? A girl in her twenties appears at my side, reeking of booze. She speaks with an English accent.

"I've been boozing it up all day." That was her, not me, speaking, by the way.
"Oh?" We British tend to be polite. I really wanted to say to her that I could tell she had been drinking for she stank like dried up pee and vomit.
"My tummy aches. I really need Andrews Liver Salts."
"They still make that?" I hadn't thought about Andrews Liver Salts in years.
"Of course. And I love it! It always does the trick. What are you going to be buying? Oh, look! Maltesers! I love Maltesers!"



I leave the drunken girl in the shadows of the shop, pleased with my purchases, and wonder if she was from the Disney Cruise ship? I'll never know.

Do you ever shop for British foods?

Christmas and Hogmanay

ALL PHOTOS COPYRIGHTED SSTAAS

Christmas Eve in Virginia with nice long walks, and Christmas Day at home with presents galore. Hogmanay with friends afar.

Up and Down Steps in Mykonos

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Cruising up and down steps in Mykonos, Greece, is one charming way to spend an afternoon.



Who made Mykonos so cute? Every corner you turn it just gets cuter and cuter.

Excuse me while I run up and down steps in Mykonos. Can't help myself!

Cruising Along

All Photos Copyrighted sstaas. All rights reserved.

Know what's nice about cruising along? All the wonderful photos you take. At the time, you don't realise how wonderful they are. It's only once you're back home, in cold, dreary weather, that you appreciate the terrific images.

That first photo I took from the ship, the Celebrity Solstice, at Barcelona. That's where we left from on a 12 night cruise.



The photo above is of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

Know what else is nice about cruising along? You get to walk and walk, and walk some more, all the while carrying two cameras and going snap, snap, snap, trying to get that perfect picture.



The above photo I took at the end of the cruise, when we were back in Barcelona. What time of day was it? Yikes! It was way too early for me. But, everyone on the ship was up and leaving.

Bet you're dying to see other photos of the cruise! Stay tuned. As we move on into winter, these summer photos of Mykonos, Santorini, Kusadasi, Malta, Athens, and more are sure to wake you warm.

Marsh Tacky Horse Race, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

All Photos and Written Works Copyrighted sstaas. All rights reserved.

Something nice about a road trip is finding unexpected events. Who would have thought that there would be a horse race on the beach at Hilton Head Island?! And who knew about the Marsh Tacky horse? Apparently they are an endangered species of horses.



The horses and their riders paraded along the beach as the crowds snapped dozens of photos.



The Marsh Tacky is small and works well in the marshlands of South Carolina. Despite their small size, they sure can run fast!



The rider above was one happy camper! I'm afraid, however, the race began with a terrible thud. One of the riders fell off her horse and landed hard on the sand. I don't think there was enough space after the finish line for the horses to come to a stop, so the riders had to turn them sharply. It was announced later that the rider who fell was okay.

Such excitement on the beach! And I thought cycling along the beautiful white sands was exciting!

What Were They Searching For?!

Down here in South Florida some odd things happen. Strangely shaped people wander around hoping to get a tan, hoping to regain their youth. Drivers are kind of odd as well. They either zoom along, pass you on the hard shoulder, or, they crawl along at twenty miles per hour! As for the action in the computer room, well, I tell you, delinquency, verging on anarchy so many times prevails. People are supposed to use the computer for just 15 minutes. Oh really?! You're not allowed to sit down if you're wearing a wet swimming suit? LOL!

To get back to the two women and the man who were crawling along on the ground. See previous post, in case you're just dying to know what I'm talking about. I had nothing better to do than practically fall off the balcony as I leant over watching the shenanigans below. One woman sprawling out underneath a bush, another woman appearing from nowhere who joins the first woman in this bizarre search. I guessed they were searching for something! Unfortunately, I couldn't hear the conversations.
Then, a man saunters by, and the next thing he too crouches down and almost disappears underneath the bushes.

Guess what they were all looking for?! The first woman let out a huge yell. "I found them!" She held them up in glee. Keys! I surmise they must have been her car keys. Yeah!!!

Searching

People do the oddest things at times. Especially when they're on vacation.

There I was seated on the balcony of our fourth floor condo. It was early evening and a balmy sixty five degrees in South Florida. Suddenly, I heard a lot of rustling and groans and moans. What was going on?

Having nothing better to do, I stood up and gazed over the balcony railing. What did I see? Some woman sprawled out on the grass. At first I thought she was drunk or dead. But then her hands and feet moved as she crawled about on the ground. She was obviously searching for something. And that something had to be important! Before I knew it she disappeared inside the bushes!

Then, another woman came along. Spoke to the first woman, and then she also got down on the ground and started searching inside the bushes. Golly gosh. So much excitement here in South Florida!

I waited with bated breath to see what would happen next. You won't believe it, but along came a man. Just sauntering around, probably making his way back home for the evening. Guess what? The next thing he sprawled down on the ground next to the two women. My goodness! What was going on?

You'll just have to wait until the next installment!

Edinburgh, Scotland

All photos copyrighted sstaas. All rights reserved.


What an adventure last week was! Snow, ice, frigid temperatures, public transportation coming to a halt, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was a challenge.

The above photo is of the hotel we stayed in. It looks old, but it really isn't. I think it was built in 1990. The architecture blends in with the other buildings on the Royal Mile, making it very inviting for tourists and locals alike.

In the photo below you can see the street outside the hotel. Slushy mushy icy stuff coats the road and pavements.



There was a bum sitting outside the hotel, all bundled up with blankets. His hand held out a plastic up and he'd ask for spare change. Any time I came by he started to smile and laugh. Why? I think he was astonished at the way I was walking! I was so scared that I'd fall on the ice. I ended up taking these teeny tiny steps. Well, it worked, for I didn't fall!

This fellow below must have felt the cold in places nobody wants to! I was so surprised to see a piper on such a cold, frigid day.



Down on Princes Street the Christmas lights were shining, and the carousels and the big wheel were beckoning. Believe it or not, there were lots of people out and about. Their boots probably didn't leak. Mine started to. At first I thought I was just cold, but then I realized my feet were damp as well. Do you know how long I've had these boots? Years and years. I hardly wear them, not even where I live in the United States. That's why I never knew that they leaked.



I was really glad we had a newspaper in the hotel room, for as soon as I got back, I shoved the pages into my boots, hoping that they'd somehow dry out. Why didn't I bring another pair of shoes with me?!

Have you ever encountered really bad weather on vacation?

British Foods

All photos and written work copyrighted sstaas. All rights reserved.

Down in Key West shadows creep up ye olde brick wall. It will be evening soon and the buskers will be out and about entertaining the crowds. There is a huge Disney ship docked just down the road a bit. Tourists saunter about in gaudy tee shirts and loose sandals.

I spy a shop that advertises British foods and jaunt over quickly to inspect the joyful joint. It does look joyful! I'm almost certain I'll be able to purchase good old Branston Pickle and maybe some Cadbury Flake. Yum. Digestive Biscuits too? Yummer yum.



Inside the shop I'm gazing on the foods I used to eat growing up in Scotland. Wine gums anyone? A girl in her twenties appears at my side, reeking of booze. She speaks with an English accent.

"I've been boozing it up all day." That was her, not me, speaking, by the way.
"Oh?" We British tend to be polite. I really wanted to say to her that I could tell she had been drinking for she stank like dried up pee and vomit.
"My tummy aches. I really need Andrews Liver Salts."
"They still make that?" I hadn't thought about Andrews Liver Salts in years.
"Of course. And I love it! It always does the trick. What are you going to be buying? Oh, look! Maltesers! I love Maltesers!"



I leave the drunken girl in the shadows of the shop, pleased with my purchases, and wonder if she was from the Disney Cruise ship? I'll never know.

Do you ever shop for British foods?

Family Biking on Hilton Head Island

All photos and written works copyrighted sstaas. All rights reserved.

What's the best part of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina?

Is it the weather? Is it the ice cream? Is it the Southern charm? Nope. It's the biking! Where else can you bike along the beach and throughout miles of beautiful trails?



The problem with where I live, in the suburbs, is that there are no sidewalks. You can't even walk without having to leap onto front yards anytime a car comes by. Bike trails? No sidewalks also means no bike trails. If that's not bad enough, it's hilly where I live. Not a pretty sight to see me huffing and puffing up hills, especially when I slither off the saddle to catch my breath! People pushing strollers certainly get a work-out as they stride up the hills and back down the other side.



Hilton Head Island, on the other hand, is family friendly. You can rent bikes of all sizes, including teeny tiny ones. You can also rent bikes with buggy thingys at the back, where toddlers can sit. Fancy a tandem? No problem. Prices are really reasonable too.



Just watch out for the alligators!!



Give me the beach and trails on Hilton Head Island any day! If you'd like more information about Hilton Head please check out my photo tour.

Surreal Venice and the Gondoliers

We just got back from a Mediterranean cruise. Venice, Italy, was one of the places we visited. What is it about those gondoliers? They look as if they have stepped out of a movie, or the front page of some fashion magazine. They hang about, posing, their eyes down demurely, pretending not to notice the throngs of tourists taking their photos.

Photos copyrighted sstaas. All rights reserved.




Don't you think that the handsome, sexy gondolier in my photo looks sooo nonchalant, sooo amazingly modest and coy?! You wonder what he's thinking, all decked out his cute little outfit. For a second I thought I was in the Venetian in Las Vegas, so surreal he seemed, as did the canal in the background. I asked myself, is Venice real? Or, is the Venetian in Las Vegas more real?



Another cute, sexy gondolier appeared from underneath a bridge. Now, he was real, of that I'm sure. He was moving, steering his gondola out into the Grand Canal.



So many tourists, so many gondolas, canals, cameras and camcorders. Venice is like a movie. Even Coca Cola makes a splashing and spectacular entrance. The city appears as one gigantic movie set.



It was the pigeons and the sounds of the water lapping against the gondolas that brought me back to reality, that made me realise that what I was looking at was, in fact real.

We went in the month of August when it was really very hot and absolutely full of tourists. I think that May or September would be better months to visit if you want to avoid the crowds. We arrived on our cruise ship on this particular trip, but the first time I visited Venice I arrived by train. There are water buses and water taxis that will transport you around the city. Have fun exploring the narrow streets and being mesmerized by the all the activities on the Grand Canal!

In case you're planning a trip to Venice, here's a useful link that will give you lots of information: travel information

Steps and Stairs

All photos copyrigted sstaas. All rights reserved.

I love steps and stairs! If I could paint I'd make beautiful pictures of them, with all their intricate details and alluring shades. But, as I mentioned before in a previous blog, my skills at painting are zero. Drawing skills? Less than zero!

So, I photograph them. I had no idea how much I love steps and stairs until I noticed how many photos I have taken of them.



I used to think it romantic and ever so exciting to run up and down steps. You know the ones, outside museums or those fabulously famous cathedrals you see in Europe. You haven't lived until you've dashed up and down the cathedral steps in Amalfi, Italy. That's what I've always thought. Also, the stairs and steps you find in Savannah and Charleston are just bursting with southern charm and grace. Why, just putting your tiny toe on them makes you feel like a southern lady, gushing with pride and mystery.





What inspires you? What do you like to take photos of?

Shopping for Bargains

Today, I decided to go to AAA to purchase euros. I was planning on converting $400. In the end, I paid $418 and got 285 euros in return.




Now, I just hate it when I don't get a bargain. I had checked out today's exchange rate online and had found a better rate than what AAA was offering. However, who knows where you could actually get this better rate, nor how much you'd have to pay in fees?



After I got home, I mulled it over and then decided to call the bank at the airport and find out their rate of exchange. Gosh, was I a happy camper! Their rate wasn't any better at all than AAA's, in fact I would have had to pay $10 more for the same about of euros, plus a fee of $5.95.

Now I don't feel so bad. It wasn't a bargain at AAA, but neither was it a rip-off.


Talking of bargains, I once had a yard sale. I guess it was more of a driveway/lawn sale for I had my stuff on the driveway and front lawn. People drove up in their hordes and clambered over towards my tables all set up to look luring. Their eyes were glistening and glazed with anticipation of finding bargains. They yanked at everything, pulling, stretching, patting. I think they were about to shove my stuff in their mouths, hungry as they were for a good deal.

"How much is this?"
"How low can you go?"
"I offer you three bucks."
"Could you give me two for the price of one?"
"Anything free?"
"If I come back later, will you lower the price?"

I practically gave my stuff away that day. Much as I personally like bargains, I'm not just any good at selling.

Where do you feel are the best places for bargains? Online? Yard sales?

Mr Whippy, Hot Dogs and Ice Cream

All photos and written works are copyrighted sstaas. All rights reserved.

I would love a nice yummy ice cream just now. It's hot and humid here in the suburbs. Not only that, this morning I mowed the grass out back, way out back next to the woods. I usually charge full steam ahead, stomping my feet as I go, making as much noise as possible, that way, any snakes lurking about will take off. I still haven't seen any this year as yet though. That's a nice suprise. Then, this afternoon, I decided to paint one of the bathrooms. All the bending, stretching, and cursing each time I splashed paint on the floor has made me really ready for something cold. But, how many calories are there in an ice cream?!



It's still nice to look at Mr. Whippy's ice cream and my polaroid manipulation of the Hot Dogs and Ice Cream sign. I took the Mr. Whippy photo in Edinburgh, on one of many trips back home. The Hot Dogs and Ice cream I made in South Carolina.

Gazing at these photos is a lovely break from all this yard work and decorating. Now I have to go give the bathroom a second coat of paint. And unless it rains I'll have to water the garden. Now that the bathroom is looking nice, I think the hall could do with a coat of paint. This is never-ending! And in a day or two I'll need to cut the grass out front. The bushes need to be trimmed as well.

So much activity here in the suburbs. It's exhausting. Maybe a teeny tiny ice cream topped with some nice red wine is in order? Then I'll imagine I'm sitting on the beach underneath the Hot Dogs and Ice Cream sign enjoying a Mr. Whippy ice cream cone. Sure, why not?!

How do you like to spend a hot summer day?

Play Golf?

We sometimes travel to Weston, a quiet suburban area close to Fort Lauderdale. It's an ideal spot to escape the snow and ice. Don't say that to the locals, however, for they complain any time the temperature goes below seventy degrees Fahrenheit! There are indeed cool days in Florida, and it can get quite windy in the winter. However, if you're a keen golfer, you'll find yourself able to play even in January and February.



Not that I play golf. I have tried. I actually once firmly believed that golf would be in my genes, that I'd be programmed to be a really good player. I watched Lucille Ball take a lesson once. Her problem was that she didn't keep her head down. My problem was that I ripped out half the golf course each time I hit the ball. That wouldn't have been too bad if the ball had actually moved! Well, it did a little, maybe half an inch.

Do you play golf? Where?